Colorado state and city parks hit capacity on 4th of July

DENVER ( KDVR ) — With temperatures in the 80s Thursday, Americans are flocking to state and city parks to celebrate Independence Day. However, some parks hit capacity before noon.

With the Fourth of July being on a Thursday, state parks prepared for an influx of guests ready to celebrate the long weekend with a day at the lake. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s website , Cherry Creek State Park hit capacity at about 11 a.m. and no further entry is available at this time.

If you made plans to have lunch at the reservoir, you will need to look for another option. Cherry Creek State Park is a popular spot for boaters, paddleboarders and those looking to enjoy a holiday barbecue. CPW said guests can check back at 5 p.m. for updates.

Cherry Creek wasn’t the only park prepping for a large crowd. Bear Creek Lake Park opened its gates at 6 a.m.

FOX31’s Carly Moore went to Bear Creek to speak to the droves of people prepared to celebrate at Big Soda Lake. She said the park also hit capacity. However, some people aren’t taking no for an answer and are parking in nearby neighborhoods and walking in.

Bear Creek told Moore that they would reevaluate the crowd every three to four hours.

Chatfield State Park also hit capacity at around 10:30 a.m. CPW said the park can no longer accommodate more visitors.

Cherry Creek State Park visitors face full capacity

For much of July 4th, Cherry Creek State Park reached full vehicle capacity.

A bilingual sign at the west entrance informed drivers of the closure. A Colorado Parks and Wildlife Ranger was standing nearby to answer any questions.

Visitors were given the option to park across South Dayton Street and walk into the park.

A group of young men leaving the park said they were surprised at the large numbers.

“We got here at noon, and we were really surprised, ‘cause we thought we got here early, but everyone in town is here, apparently,” one man said.

Precisely at 5 p.m., a park ranger removed the sign at the west entrance, allowing vehicles to once again enter.

One park ranger told FOX 31 that Friday is not expected to be as quite as busy, but Sunday could, once again, reach full vehicle capacity status.

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